Mall Crawl

If you've known me for even a snippet of time, you're likely aware of my aversion to malls. It seriously makes my anxiety level skyrocket. Which is why it's so odd that I ended up visiting three different ones in the last 48 hours. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!! I had to go to the Glendale Galleria on Sunday to return a dress and let me tell you, I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I can't help but observe all the excess around me when I'm in a huge shopping complex like that. Frenzied people laden down with bags, children screeching and whining for more, teenagers in packs all madly texting but not interacting with one another, the food court jammed with families digging into stuff that barely passes for food.....it feels so chaotic. Outdoor malls I can tolerate more because it seems less claustrophobic and I'd rather be outside than inside. One time I went on a date and mentioned that I didn't like malls and the guy looked at me as if what I just said was sooooo un-American. I thought a girl not liking shopping was a plus?

Now, I don't know if it's what I sense around me that bothers me most or if it's the fear that just being around all that stuff will wake up the monster of want that lies dormant inside of me. I have always operated out of the theory that ignorance is bliss. If I don't know what's out there, then I won't want any of it and therefore won't continue to desire more and more. I remember a shirt my dad had for, I don't know, 20 years maybe. I think I even teased him about it, but I get it now. While I'd like to have snazzy new clothes each season, I actually like saving my money better.

I've never been much of a shopper. My mom doesn't care for it either, so she never really cultivated the shopping gene in me, which I truly appreciate. The bad thing is that I don't have the patience to look at everything carefully and make the most informed choices. My roommate, on the other hand, has lovely taste and can dig through and find the most delicious of bargains. She once bought me a stunning dress she found on one killer of a sale rack and that dress gets me massive compliments every time I wear it. She's got mad, hot skills. My niece is only 13 and also kicks my tail in finding fashion and finding it quickly. My second foray into a mall in the past couple of days was with her when she went to pick out a new outfit for the first day of school. She literally breezed in, honed in on one pair of pants, a shirt and a jacket, tried only those things on and voila.......everything worked perfectly and we were out of there lickety splickety.

But Staci, you say, that's only two mall visits. Well, I went to a third because the store I was in with my niece had the perfect western-style red plaid snap shirt for me to wear to my western-themed fundraiser on Thursday, but they didn't have my size. So as I soon as I got home I walked up to the same store in the mall closest to me, took some deep calming breaths, and ran in and bought the sucker. It's cute. But trust me, you won't find me in a mall again anytime soon.....